The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1887-02-23
PRISON WORK.

It has been said that every true mother
sees her own boy in the face OF every
other boy, that the mother-hcart yearns
for the welfare of all. From this princi-
pie it is easy to comprehend why this
State organization feels an interest IN all
the boys of the State, sand desires that
that they arrive at :. True and noble man
hood. Dear sister, did Your mother
heart ever take in the thoughs that the
maiorityof prisoners are under twenty
two years of age, that one-bhi-d ere un-
der sixteen, mere boFs;fwho need a
mothers tender care?; : Possibly the
mother is only one in u name, or she
may sleep under the clods OF TIE valley.
BOYS, mere children, not more than
eight years OF age, have been sentenced
to the penitentiary in our own State thus
year. What i future is before such
Shut in with older criminals, instead OF
being improved oy the punishment they
are turned out months afterwards trained
criminals who delight in vicious habits,
again and again to go behind prison bars
until finally some dreadful deed demands
the life to pay the penalty.
1t makes ones aeart bleed to TANK OF
the children who are trained as criminals
by long waiting in jail with older experts
who are anxious for a pupil to whom to
impart their vile abundance. Some steps
ought to be taken to remedy this prepa-
ration of criminal lives. The State has
right to protect itself. 1t would be
economy to fill these idle moments IN
iail with labor. Nothing SO tortures a
Child as to have nothing to do. Hard
labor is far more desirable. And chill
tlren in penitentiaries should not miss
all the years for mental discipline.
They hare been idle, proHigate, but
now in the hands OF the State they
should be turned out improved. 1t is
not our duty as an assembly of Christian
women to present to the Legislature the
propriety of making provisions Tor a
State Reform School under the care of
Christian superintendent and latron,
and godly teachers, where those con.
victed OF crime under seventeen years OF
age, shall be placed to be reformed,
educated and established in the right
way.l It should be manual-labor
school, located upon farm with such
appliances as are necessary to teach
trades. Vagrancy itself should be a
sufficient offence to send a boy to this
home. We need more OF the Jewish
idea OF industry forming a part OF the
basis of morality in training children,
which is expressed in their proverb, .'He
that teacheth not his boy q trade does
the same as il he taught him to steal. .
Often these young criminals a:e the
children Of drunkards who have lnher-
tied evil tendencies. Often the crime is
the direct result of drink itself.
\ lew years OF this reformatory life,
while the character is being formed, will
turn out to the State many 4 steady,
educated citizen, who, if his boyhood
had been spent in State penitcntiary,
would have been, by repeated ofaace, a
far create. expense to the country, be-
side the SORROW he may have caused.
This plan of treating criminal boys Is
both polite and human, not 70 say
Christian. Many u boy just as guilty,
ard more SO, than those IL the pe2lten-
tiary, continues at home and becomes so
in proved and established by the home
Influences as to become popular and
usefu! man. Home, one of three bright
est Stars il every boys inner SKY, IS the
great moral factor in determining his
after lie. We agree that the home in
tiucncc Cannot with economy 10 the
State be dispensed with, even for crlml-
,Ial children, and that it should be sup.
p!;cd il tic Reform Home.
MARY c. NoCDY.